Obituary: Stanley J. Roszkowski lived, judged with integrity

ROCKFORD — Judges and lawyers say Stanley J. Roszkowski was a man of tremendous integrity and graciousness who treated people with respect and ruled with courage.

His family remembered a man who loved them, loved people and loved Rockford.

“Dad loved this community,” Dan Roszkowski, one of four sons, said Tuesday. “He taught us that we’re here to do what we can to make things better. ... He was just a great human being, so likeable and considerate of other people.”

Roszkowski, a longtime federal judge who died Monday at age 91, was the same way from the bench: thoughtful and compassionate.

Lisa Fabiano, a 17th Circuit Court judge in Winnebago County’s civil division, worked her first job out of law school as Roszkowski’s clerk.

“He was a wonderful man to work for,” she said. “He treated everyone with dignity. .... I think about him a lot as I do my own job. How he treated people, how he considered cases and came to conclusions on them. He was a great role model to me.”

U.S. District Court Judge Philip Reinhard was a colleague and friend of Roszkowski since 1964, succeeding him as Rockford’s federal judge in 1992 when Roszkowski reached senior status, a form of semiretirement for federal judges who reach the age of 65.

“He did private mediations until he was 90, and he was good at it,” Reinhard said. “What made him so successful were three things: It was his personality, he was a very engaging person. He was fair, so people trusted him. And he stayed with it until an agreement was reached.”

The two worked together for 20 years. Some of Roszkowski’s biggest cases included the People Who Care lawsuit against the Rockford School District, the Chicago Bulls antitrust case of the early 1980s and the criminal prosecution of Chicago mobster Harry Aleman.

“Fairness was part of his DNA,” Mahoney said. “Once he knew what should occur in a case, he stood by it. He didn’t waiver. He didn’t care who you were or how much money you had or who you knew.”

Roszkowski, born Jan. 27, 1923, was a U.S. District Court judge in Rockford from 1977 to 1998. Flags at Rockford’s federal courthouse, which is named for him, flew at half-staff Tuesday.

Before he was a lawyer and before he went to college and law school, Roszkowski flew 35 missions on a B-26 bomber during World War II.

“He told this great story about a time when one of the bombs had locked up,” Dan Roszkowski said. “The planes couldn’t land with a live bomb so he had to go down there in flight with a screwdriver to dislodge it.”

Stories about the war and the law made Roszkowski a hero in his sons’ eyes, but the stories about his kindness make them most proud.

“He was the kind of person who could walk into a room of strangers and come out with friends. It was just the way he was,” Dan said. “He was an inspiration to all of us.”

In a statement released Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Roszkowski was a “great American who dedicated his life in service to his country. Seeing a need to improve the safety and security of judges and the public, Judge Roszkowski worked tirelessly to ensure that a new courthouse was built in Rockford.

“His legacy as an exceptional judge and devoted public servant will live on in the courthouse which bears his name.”